Water-glass mounting for steam boilers



' J. E. BARSS WATER GLASS MOUNTING FOR STEAM BOILERS Filed March 15, 1924 v IF 2 Sheets-Shea 1 '4 24 I 26 l V /7 A5 w INVENTEIR JUSEPHELDJEJDGEBHRSE ATTORNEY Sept. 22, 1925. 1,554,945

' J. E. BARSS WATER GLASS MOUNTING FOR STEAM BOILERS Filed March 15, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NVEN TD R JUSEPHEZDRIUBE'MRSS HTTURNEY Patented Sept. 22, 1925.

UNITED STATES JOSEPH ELDRIDGE BARSS, O liEONCTON, NEVJ' BRUNSWICK, CANADA.

WATER-GLASS MOUNTING FOR SI EAM BOILERS.

Application filed March 15, 1924;. Serial No, 6993532.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrir ELDRIDGE Bnnss, a citizen of Dominion of'Canada, and resident of Moncton, in the county of lVestmoreland and Province of New Brunswick. Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water-Glass Mountings for Steam Boilers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to certain new and useful improvements in a water gauge and relates more particularly to a double water gauge mounting for boilers with automatic cut-off valves located in the body castings between the upper ends and also between the lower ends of the parallel water glasses.

An object of the invention provides in the provision of a water glass mounting of simple construction and which will assure automatic cutting off of the steam and Water in case of breakage of the glass or glasses of the water gauge thereby permitting closing of the valves without danger of scalding or otherwise injuring the operator.

The invention has for another object the provision of a water glass mounting for a double or duplex automatic safety water gauge for a steam boiler or locomotive and the like and which is constructed in such a manner that it may be readily taken apart for examination and cleaning.

The invention has for a further object the provision of an improved duplex automatic safety water glass mounting in which all of the passages will be smooth and the various parts may be readily tested, while the device is still in use, so as to assure proper operation or functioning of all of the parts.

WVith the foregoing and other objects in view, as will appear the description proceeds the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of co-operating elements as hereinafter more specifically. set forth, claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part of the present application, in which:

F ig. 1 is an elevation of the complete device.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section substantially on the plane of line3-3 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section substantially on the plane of line H of Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section substantially on the plane of line 55 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, it will be noted that the right and left water glasses 10 are employed. The upper and lower body castings or mountings 11 are of similar construction and serve respectively to connect the upper ends and the lower ends of the right and left glasses 10. The castings 11 have outwardly offset chambers 12 in the opposed ends on which are threaded members 13 to receive the upper and lower ends of the glasses 10, as shown clearly in Fig. 1. Removable plugs let are employed for closing the upper ends of the chambers 12 for the upper casting or mounting, while drain cocks 15 are threaded in the lower ends of the chambers 12 of the lower casting or mounting 11. This will be readily understood by referring to the drawings. Each of the castings or mountings 11 has a main or central chamber 16 from which the side branches 17 extend and from which is also extended the rear arm or branch 18 of the casting or mounting 11. The rear arm or branch 18 has its threaded free extremity 19 adapted to be threaded in the side of the boiler, as will be readily understood from Figs. 2 3 and 5. An opening 20 is provided centrally in the forward side of each casting or mounting 11. opposite the arm or branch 18 and normally closed by the plug 21 threaded therein.

Threaded in each side branch 17 of the upper and lower castings or mountings 11, is a sleeve 22 carrying a valve seat 23 at its inner end and an annular flange at its outer end, for engagement against the outer end of the side branch 17 in which the sleeve 22 is secured. It is to be understood that the sleeves 22 are of such length that the valve seats 23 are positioned at opposite sides of the central-chamber 16, and the sidebranches 17 and the chamber 12.

able packing members 28 are carried on the outer ends of the plugs-25, around the valve stems 26, to prevent the escape of steam or water around the valve stems 26. Wheels 29 or other suitable valve operating members are carried on the outer ends of the valve stems 26, so that the valves 27 may be readily adjusted toward or from the valve seats 23. Registering water passages 30 are g'grovided in'the sleeves 22 and the walls ot the castings or mountings 11 between the It will, therefore, be seen that when the sleeves 22 are properly adjusted in the side branches 1'? with their openings registering with the openings 30 leading to the chambers 12 and the valves 27 open, steam and water may pass from the central chambers 16 or" the casting or mounting 11 into the upper and lower ends oi the glasses 10.

As means for automatically closin z communieation between the central chambers 16 oi the casting or mounting 11, and the steam or water passages to the side branch 17 on one side of the casting or mounting 11 in case of breakage of the glasses 10, an automatic double clapper valve 31 is provided in the central chamber 16 of each casting or mounting 11. The double clapper valve 81 "for each casting or mounting 11 has opposite flat sides and reversely beveled edges, so that the clapper valve is of substantially diamond shape in elevation as shown clearly in Fig. 4. The clapper valve 31 has o p-' positely directed pintles 32 at its upper end resting in pockets 33 provided for this purpose in the annular flange 34 in the upstanding central extensions 35 ot the casting or mounting 11'. This will be readily seen in I 5 of the drawing- It will also be seen clearly from Figs. 4 and 5 that a substantially J-shaped spring 36 is mounted on the upper end ot the double clapper valve 31 with its converging depending legs 37 e7-: tended toward the edges of the upper halt ot the double clapper valve 31.. the tree lowi or extension 38 of the le s 37 being turned outwardly. The upper or main portion of the spring 36 has an offset portion 39 which rests on the upper edge ol the double clapper valve 31. The lower halt ot the double clapper valve 31 is opposite the valve seats 23 and adapted to be moved against one of the same, when the double clapper valve" 81 is operated. A plug 40 is threaded in the extension 85 with an annular flange 11 resting on the top of the extension 35, while the bottom of the plug 40 rests on the flange 34, the ends oi the pintles 32 and on the shoulders oi the spring 36. It will be seen that the plug it) serves to hold the spring 36 in proper position and the spring 36 in turn resiliently retains the double clapper valve 31 in its normal or depending position in the central chamber 16.

It. believed the completed construction and operation may now be understood from .ac torc ng paragraphs taken in connection with the accompanying drawings without further detail description. ltinay be ln'ieli stated, however, that all ot the valves should be open, while the drain cocks 15 are closed and the double clapper valve 31 should be in its normal or central position, as shown in the drawings. This is true ext both ends or the top and bottom of the device. Un'der normal operation of the device the water level should show the same in each glass 10. It either glass 10 should break or start to leak and permit escape of steam, the increased flow of steam to such glass will immediately cause movement of he upper double clapper valve 31 to engage with the valve seat 23, through which the extra amount of steam is passing and thereshutoff further flow of steam to the detective glass 10. T he result will be the operation ot the device with the other glass 10, until the damaged glass is replaced after closing 0'? the valves 27 at. the upper and lower ends of the damaged glass. I V

It water should escape from one of the glasses 10 or connections to the same, the increased water pressure against one side of the lower double clapper valve 31 will result in movement of the latter into engagement with the valve seats 23 in the sleeve 22 communicating with the chamber 12 on which the defective glass is mounted, thereby cutting off use oi this glass and permitting operation of the device on the other glass. In this case, the damaged or defective glass'may be replaced or the trouble remedied after closing of both the valves 27 at the opposite ends of the damag d "lass.

.he different parts of the device may be readily tested to locate trouble whenever the water level is not the same in the two glassts F or instance, by closing the two upper valves 27, the condition of the water passages to the boiler may be readily determined. In like manner, y shutting both at the lower valves 27 while the upper valves remain open, it may be readily determined whether the steam passages to the boiler are clear. For this test the drain coclrs 15 must be opened. The double clappervalves 31 may be readily tested by opening the drain cocks 15 for first one glass and then the other, while the valves 27 are open. clapper valve 31 operates against the spring provided therefor, when moving to either its closed or operated positions and the spring 36 serves to immediately return the double clapper valve 31 to its normal depending or open position when the trouble with the device is remedied. By employing the clapper valves 31 in combination with the other parts, as arranged, danger of the attendant being scalded or soaked in case of breakage of the water glasses while steam pressure is in the boiler, will be eliminated. l' rirthcrmore, the apparatus to which the device applied may continue to operate with only one of the glasses 10 functioning, when necessary. This is a particular advantage when the device is employed on the boilers of locomotives and other steam boilers. The advantage of such a device on the locomotive steam boiler ot' a passenger train should be apparent, as in case a water glass should burst the driver can close the valves thereof, without neglecting his other duties and finish the trip with the other glass.

Attention may be directed to the tact that the plugs 21 may be removed for inspecting the double clapper valve 31 and for cleaning out the central chamber 16, as well as the arm or branch 18 of the casting or mounting 11, without the necessity of removing the device or disconnecting the parts thereof. The plugs 40 may be readily removed for unseating or seating the double clapper valves 31 and their springs 36, as desired. This may also be of advantage when cleaning out the central chamber 16 and the arms or branch 18. The sleeves 22 with the valve seats 23 may be readily withdrawn from the side branch 17 for the purpose of inspecting cleaning, repairing or replacing such parts as desired. The plugs, 25 with the valve stems 26 and valves 27, may be readily secured in or removed from he sleeves 22 when the latter are in posishown in the drawings, or when are removed from the casting or mounting 11.

'While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be un dcrstood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of coangerating elements may be resorted to within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim as new is: V

1. A water gauge mounting including a casting having a central chamber; side branches extended from said central chamber; vertical chambers communicating with said side branches and adapted to receive one end of the water glasses of the gauge;

.lt will also b seen that each double.

valve seats in said side branches; valves operable in said side branches for engagement with said valve seats; an arn'i GXtQlltlGtl from said central chamber tlor connection with a boiler; a double clapper valve within the said central chamber and adapted for engagement with one of said valve seats upon variation of pressure on the opposite sides of said double clapper valve; means for resiliently retaining said clapper valve in normal neutral position; a plug for saidcentral chamber adapted to retain the last mentioned means and the clapper valve against upward movement in the central chamber; and a second plug for said central chamber opposite said clapper valve.

2. A water gauge mounting including a casting having a central chamber; side branches extending from said central chamber; vertical chambers adjacent said side branches; removable sleeves for said side branches; said sleeves carrying valve seats in their ends; said sleeves and side branches having registering openings forming communication between said side branches and said vertical chambers; said vertical chambers being adapted to support water glasses; a rear arm extended from said central chamber for connection with the boilers; removable plugs for the forward and upper sides of said central chamber; a double clapper valve suspended in said central chamber and adapted to be forced into engagement with one of the valve seats upon variation of the pressure on opposite sides of the double clapper valve; means for resiliently retaining the double clapper valve in neutral po sition between said valve seats; and valves adjustable in said sleeves with respect to said valve seats.

8. A water gauge mounting including a pair of castings having central chambers; rear hollow extensions communicating with said central chambers and adapted for removable engagement in the wall of the boiler, hollow side branches extending from said central chambers, and vertical hollow chambers carried on said side extensions and having communication therewith; water glasses extending between the vertical hollow chambers of the castings; means for closing the upper ends of the vertical hollow chambers of the upper casting, drain cocks depending from the lower ends of the vertical hollow chambers of the lower casting, plugs for closing the forward and up per sides of the central chambers of said castings, sleeves removably mounted in said side extensions and carrying valve seats in their inner ends; a double clapper valve sus pended in said central chamber of each casting between the said valve seats and adapted to be forced toward one of said valveseats to close communication between said central chamber and the side extension in which the valve seat is located in case of breakage of a water glass; a spring mounted on said double clapper valve to resiliently retain the same 111 neutral position; the plug for the upper side of the central chamber serving to sleeves and adapted to be seated against said valve seats when use of the side branches 1s 10 .discontinued owing to damage to one of the water glasses.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

JOSEPH ELDRIDGE BARSS. 

